Bridgeport Village

The Barnes and Noble I work at is only two years old and located at an outdoor mall. When I arrived for my interview, I was shocked when I saw the signs for valet parking. "This is a fancy place," I thought to myself as I happily parked my own car. I was correct in my assumption! The mall is laid out like a strip mall, with less parking but better designed for milling about. There is a movie theater on one side and many large and small shops. There is a Sacs Off 5th store, MAC cosmetics store, and many fancy clothing stores I've never seen before. There are a few fountains and the one below is my favorite.

My favorite fountain during the day.

The same fountain from the opposite side, in the evening.
From Bridgeport's Twitter feed.

I had to take a picture of the Apple store (not to be confused with the MAC store) since I'd never seen one. I'm not even sure if there is an Apple/Mac store anywhere in Kansas. Every time I've walked by it's been packed inside. When I'm at work, people often ask where the Apple store is, proving it's popularity as I've rarely been asked where other stores are.

And, of course, I took a picture of the Crocs store too. I had no idea there was enough of a demand for Crocs to warrant an entire store! I'm sure they make more than their trademark sandals but it still surprised me. I laugh to myself when I pass by and think of that fad. I hear they're comfy but I've never tried a pair.

Staff are required to park in the upper levels of the parking garage so I have a bit of a walk to work. It's not terrible and so far the weather has been great. I asked a few coworkers if getting from the garage to the store was a nightmare in the winter and they seemed a little confused by the question. They said it's cold but not bad. I constantly forget that it doesn't really snow here, which is a relief each time I remember! I was imagining donning my snow boots and trudging through 6 inches of snow to get to work this winter. I mentioned that, and one coworker laughed saying last year it snowed 3 inches and they were all told not to come to work. That made me laugh! These silly Oregonians really don't know what to do when the snow doesn't immediately melt.

They decorated the plaza for fall yesterday. There are pumpkins, other gourds, and hay all around the gazebo and the children's play area. These minion hay bales were too cute not to take pictures.